Electric relay



May 12, 1931. L. H. PETER ET AL ELECTRIC "RELAY Filed March 51, 1950 Fgtj The

M S n SW M m Du [G mt: mehq P MR W Q AER Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESLIE I-I. PETER, ERIC W. CHALLANS, AND RODERICK M. MACGREGQR, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR-S, BY ME-SNE ASSIGNMENTS,.TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RELAY Application filed March 31, 1930, Serial No. 440,218, and in Great Britain April 16, 1929.

Our invention relates to electric relays, and has for its object to provide an improved construction of apparatus of this character.

In electric relays as hitherto constructed the armature or other element of the device which is adapted to be moved from one position to another under the influence of the magnetic field due to the relay windings and to thereby actuate the relay contacts, is either pivotally mounted or is supported upon a spring element so as to permit the desired movement.

In all cases, however, the weight of the armature or other element is carried by the mounting permitting and determining the path of movement of the element.

According to the present invention however, the armature or other movable element is during its movement from one position to another entirely free except as regards restraint against movement in an undesired direction, the weight of the element being solely opposed by the magnetic action and not as in previous constructions exerting pressure upon a fixed abutment or pivot.

In carrying the invention into practice the movable element of the relay may be arranged to have a substantially vertical movement between upper and lower abut-- ments the lower of which serves to support the weight of the element when the relay is deenergized, either or both the upper and lower abutments being constituted wholly or partly by the fixed contacts of the relay.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a direct current relay constructed in accordance with one form of the invention, Fig. 2 being a view in front elevation of a portion of the relay mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified construction of the arrangement for supporting the relay armature.

Referring now first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the relay comprises a casing 1 containing the moving mechanism and provided with a top plate 2 on which this mechanism is mounted. The energizing windings of the relay are indicated at 3 as arranged above the top plate 2, the pole pieces 4 of the magnetic core extending downwards within the casing 1 and being provided with projecting pins 5. The armature 6 of the relay is provided'with transverse apertures 7 which are of considerably larger dimensions than the pins 5 which project through the apertures 7 so that a limited amount of lateral displacement of the armature 6 is permitted. Mounted upon a projecting arm 7 formed on or attached to the armature 6 are upper and lower spring contacts 8, 9 adapted to engage with corresponding fixed contacts 10, 11, which are secured to terminal posts 12, 13 mounted on the top plate 2.

The armature is electrically connected to a similar terminal post 14; by a flexible conductor 15, and the energizing windings 3 are connected to terminals 16 for connecting these windings to the external circuit.

The armature 6 is adapted to move freely between adjustable upper and lower stops 17, 18 carried by a bracket 19 mounted on the top plate 2 of the relay the operation of the mechanism being as follows.

When the relay is deenergized the armature 6 is in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the armature being supported upon the fixed contact 11 and the lower stops 18.

Upon the energization of the windings 3 the armature 6 is attracted upwards towards the pole pieces 4 until one end of the armature rests against the upper stops 17 while at the other end the contact 8 is in engagement with the fixed contact 10.

It will thus be seen that during the upward and downward movements of the armature 6 from its deenergized position towards its energized position and vice versa, the armature is free from restraint in a vertical direction.

Referring now to the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3, in this case, the necessary restraint against undesired lateral movement of the armature 6 is effected by providing one or more strips or bands 20 of flexible material connected between the tures.

armature 6 and a bracket 21 secured to the top plate 2 of the relay, the strips or hands 20 serving to prevent appreciable movement of the armature 6 in a direction at right angles to its path of attracted movement without Opposing or supporting the weight of the armature 6, upper and lower stops 17, 18 carried by the bracket 21 are provided for limiting the vertical movement of the armature 6 as already described with reference to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In a further development of the construetion shown in Fig. 3, the armature 6 and the bands or strips '20 by which it is tethered may be so arranged relative to the direction of the tractive action of the magnetic flux traversing the pole pieces a of the relay as to produce a certaindegree of tension upon the bands or stripsQO when the armature 6 moves upwards as the relay is energized.

The'principle of the invention may also evidently be applied to relays of the induction or vane type by similarly mounting the vane or other form of movable element so that its weight is not supported upon or counteracted by an abutment or pivot during the movement of the element when the relay is energized. I I

The invention may thus be embodied in a wide variety of different constructional forms and applications other than those above described and illustrated without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same-is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

- A relay comprising an electromagnet,

pins pro ecting vertically downward from the pole pieces of'said magnet, an armature apertured to receive said pins, with clearance and mounted to slide thereon toward and away from said pole pieces, and fixed abutments for limitingthemovements of 7 said armature.

In testimony whereof we aiiixour s gna- LESLIE HURST PETER. ERIC 1V. CHALLANS.

' RODERICK M. MAGGREGOR, 

